Land of the Rising Sun: Pictures of Japan

The island nation of Japan is home to natural wonders, historical buildings and ultramodern cities. See Japan’s incredible architecture, elaborate festivals and natural wonders in this photo gallery.

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The island nation of Japan is home to natural wonders, historical buildings and ultramodern cities. Here, an elevated train runs through Tokyo, with Tokyo Tower in the background, circa 1965.

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Mount Fuji, a volcano, is one of Japan's most famous natural landmarks. This view of Mount Fuji was taken from Gotenba, Shizuoka, Japan.

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The moon shines behind Mount Fuji's snow cap. The top of the mountain stays covered in snow for much of the year.

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The sun shines through autumn leaves near Togetsukyo Bridge in Kyoto, Japan. The bridge spans the Katsura River.

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People ride a boat on the Katsura River in Arashiyama area of Kyoto, Japan. Boat tours of the region are a popular activity for tourists.

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Visitors walk through the Nakamise shopping arcade leading to the Sensoji Temple in the Asakusa neighborhood of Tokyo, Japan. People shop in the area and visit temples in preparation for the New Year holidays.

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Visitors walk around exhibits at the 60th Sapporo Snow Festival ahead of its 2009 opening at Odori Park in Sapporo, Japan. The festival takes place each year in February and features snow and ice sculptures.

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An ice sculpture of Namdaemun, a historic gate located in South Korea, is displayed before the opening of the 60th Sapporo Snow Festival. Hundreds of sculptures are prepared for the seven-day festival.

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Japan is famous for its cherry trees. Here, cherry blossoms are in bloom at Hamarikyu Park in Tokyo. Flower viewing, or Hanami in Japanese, is a national pastime in Japan.

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People row a boat under cherry blossoms at Ueno Park on April 3, 2009 in Tokyo, Japan. The park is also home to several museums.

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This nighttime view shows the Yokohama Bay Bridge over Tokyo Bay in Yokohama, Japan. Yokohama, located a short distance from Tokyo, attracts many visitors year-round.

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Another of Yokohama's visitor attractions is the Yokohama Landmark Tower. This tower is the tallest building in Japan.

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A cat walks in the sunrise at Nitoda Port, Tashirojima Island, Ishinomaki, Japan. The island, and the village of Tashiro, are known as Cat Island.

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Tokyo Tower is illuminated in Olympic colors to promote Tokyo's bid for the Summer Olympic Games in 2016. The host city of 2016 Olympic will be decided on October 2, 2009.

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Shrine parishioners hold memorial torches to purify the path for portable shrines during Kumano Nachi Fire Festival in Nachikatsuura, Wakayama, Japan. The festival, held on July 14 every year, originated 1,500 years ago and attracts 10,000 people.